Quick Gift Idea -- Sugar Scrub

Are you scrambling for a quick gift idea?  Here's an idea for something you can throw together with stuff in your pantry.  I love sugar scrubs!  They leave your hands and body silky smooth.  If you buy one at the store, be prepared to spend big bucks, but they are very simple to put together for friends and family.

Here's what you need: Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Salt, Olive Oil*, Coconut Oil (optional), Fragrance or Essential Oil.  I used a Peppermint food oil, used in candy making and Lemon Essential Oil I got in the health food section of Fred Meyer.  You could also use some body spray (not perfume) that you have around the house.  I plan on making another batch with my Bath & Bodyworks Velvet Tuberose Body Spray.  Another option is to use vanilla extract, but it would have to be a very high quality one, that does not have an alcohol odor when you smell it.

 

In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients until they are completely incorporated.  Measure out your oil (melt the coconut oil in the microwave, if using), and pour over the sugar mixture.  Mix it in with a fork, until the sugar is completely wet.  Sprinkle in your fragrance oil until you have your desired scent.  Use a canning funnel to package in jars.  This sugar scrub can be used for hands or the whole body, but shouldn't be used on faces.  It will stay fresh for about a month.

Sugar Scrub

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup table salt

1/2 cup olive oil*

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

Fragrance oil

* A note about the olive oil in this recipe -- this is not the time to use a fancy olive oil.  In fact, look for something that DOESN'T say Extra Virgin.  The nicer the olive oil, the stronger the smell.  I bought a large bottle of regular olive oil at Trader Joe's for about $5.  I buy coconut oil online at Amazon, because I have found it to be the best deal.

-Amy

A Couple of Gift Ideas

 So I have been working on finishing homemade gifts like a mad woman.  All of our family lives far away so I have to get everything ready in time to be shipped to their separate destinations.  I wanted to share a couple of the gifts that I have working on as of late.


 The simple Nativity: I wanted to make a simple Nativity this year to give to our family and friends.  I saw this a while back on Pinterest somewhere long before I had my own account set up.  So when I went to go find the same project again it was no where to be found.  So I improvised with what I remembered of someone else's inspiration.  I know that there is someone out there I should be crediting for this simple yet perfect Nativity but, unfortunately I can't find them.

 I wanted to make something that we could put down low for our children to touch and admire with their little fingers and not have to worry about the fragility of a fancier Nativity. I love the simplicity of it but, unmistakably you know who and what it represents.  I attached a quote from this year's Christmas Devotional:

“Of course, we do not need a Christmas holiday or Christmas traditions to remember Jesus Christ, the Savior. … May each Christmas season remind us to lift up our voices and fill our hearts with joy and gratitude that Christ the King has come! Christ lives! He is real. He is our Redeemer at Christmas and always.”

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 I love personalizing gifts.  So, on the side of each Nativity I put the families name of whom we will be giving it to with the year.   I am so happy with how it turned out.  We already have ours displayed down low for our girls to look at.

Would you like to make your own?  This is what you will need:

*6"-2x2 (I did not sand them down before painting. I wanted a rough unfinished look)
*5"-2x2
*1/2" square dowel cut 3" in length
*2x 1-1/2" ball knob (for Mary)

*3x1-1/2" ball knob (for Joseph)
*1x 1/2" furniture button (for baby Jesus)
*desired acrylic paint, gorilla glue, and some twine

I cut the 2x2s for Joseph, and for Mary. I did not sand them down before painting. I wanted a rough unfinished look. I painted them and distressed them topping each with a flesh colored 2and3x-1/2" ball knob and attaching it with Gorilla glue.
For the baby I did the same steps as above.  The only difference being that in order for the ball to attach to the flat piece of wood you have to let the glue dry while it's lying down in order for it to adhere together.

I glued all of the figures together.  I didn't want any of the pieces to get lost so I figured gluing it all together would be a good option.  You definitely don't have to glue them together.  You could just bind them with the twine or leave it loose. 

Scrabble Necklace:  Talking about personalizing gifts I decided to make my girls and their friends Scrabble necklaces.  I sorted through one of 3 Scrabble games and pulled out various pieces to match the initials of their friends.  Little did they know I made one for them too.  I am going to give it to them on Christmas.  I liked them so much I even made one for myself.

I found the colored ball chains and the square bail plates at Hobby Lobby.  I used my E-6000 industrial strength adhesive.  Just a little dab will do on the back of the Scrabble piece to adhere it to the bail plate.  That was it!  Super simple.  It only took about 10 minutes for it to dry completely. 

I found my metal stamps a while back at Harbor Freight Tools for super cheap.  I just saw that Hobby Lobby sells metal stamps also--they even have different fonts.  I  have been a stamping fool lately. 

Well I hope that this gives you a couple gift ideas.  I will post more of my handmade gifts later on this week.

  

-Julia